Yakisoba with pork, cabbage and pickled ginger

What gives yakisoba its springy texture

Yakisoba is a Japanese dish of wheat noodles stir-fried with meat and vegetables in a hot pan. Despite the name, buckwheat noodles are not usually used: the noodles are more like Chinese wheat noodles, often sold as chūka soba or yakisoba noodles. Fresh, precooked noodles are handy because they heat up quickly and hold up well to a brief fry. If using dried wheat noodles, cook them until just al dente, drain them thoroughly and let them steam-dry for a little while before adding them to the pan.

The flavor is all about contrast. Pork adds savory richness and a little fat, while the cabbage and carrot turn sweet around the edges and stay crisp in the middle. The sauce is bold, slightly sweet and tangy-savory: Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce and ketchup complement one another. The exact combination varies from household to household, and ready-made yakisoba sauce is also available. Using the individual ingredients lets you adjust the balance yourself; add a little extra Worcestershire sauce for more tang, or a splash of water if the sauce seems too intense.

A large frying pan or wok is more important than a special burner. Cook over high heat and work in batches: too many ingredients at once will cool the pan, so they are more likely to steam than fry. Let the noodles make contact with the hot surface for a little while before tossing them. This gives them a lightly fried edge here and there without losing their soft, elastic texture. Slice the pork thinly so it cooks quickly and you don't have to wait for the vegetables to soften.

White cabbage and carrot are readily available all year round. Pointed cabbage can replace the white cabbage; slice it into thin strips as well and keep the cooking time short. If you don't have pickled ginger, leave it out rather than using fresh ginger as a direct substitute: pickled ginger is sweet and sour and is served here as a fresh counterpoint, not stir-fried. Oyster sauce makes a clear contribution to the sauce; for a vegetarian version, mushroom-based vegetarian oyster sauce is a suitable alternative, though of course that changes the starring role of the pork.

Serve the yakisoba right away, while the noodles are hot and the cabbage still has some bite. Add the pickled ginger at the table so its fresh flavor remains distinct. The dish is already a complete main meal; a simple bowl of cucumber or some extra cabbage on the side provides a cool, crisp contrast without crowding the pan.